Incinerator control



y 8,1935. H. w. EWING 2,002,659

INCINERATOR CONTROL Filed Oct 29, 1952 Patented May 28, 1935 Nr OFFICE" M INCINERATOR CONTROL Hugh W. Ewingchicago, Ill.

Application October. 29, 1932, Serial No. 640,215

,ii'Claims. (01. -18);

This invention relates to incinerators, and

among other objects aims to provide improved draft control mechanism for incinerators, particularly those of the flue or flue fed type.

'I'heinventionmaybe readily understood by reference to one illustrative construction embodying the invention and shown in the accompanying drawing. f I

In said drawing? j Fig. 1 is a front elevation of an incinerator showing the damper actuating mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a detail elevation, partly in section, of a construction particularly adapted for low ceiling height construction;

Fig. 3 is a detail elevation of the automatic release mechanism; and

Fig. 4 isa sectional elevation of the pivoted cam element in the release mechanism.

The invention is here shown ,embodied in a flue fed incinerator 10 wherein waste may be delivered to theincinerator through the flue ll through which, of course, the-(products of com bustion also pass. In apartments and similar buildings incinerator flues may reach very substantial heights, and because of the necessityof providing an unobstructed passage down which the waste mayfreely pass, the draft up such flues may become very great. Indeed, unless some controlling means be provided, the draft is usu-- ally great enough to carry flamingand other fragments of waste from the combustion space inside the incinerator, out the top of the flue',thus causing. a very substantial nuisance by reason of the escape of unburned andflobnoxious gases and solid material. Wherethe waste comprises a substantial quantity'of light material, such as paper, a very large portion of this material in the form of small partially burned pieces may be carried up and discharged from the flue if the charging or-stoking door or doors (2 of the incinerator be opened without substantially com pletely interrupting the draft.

According to the present invention, the draft is interrupted by a plate l3 which in this instance is in the form of a damper mounted inside the flue on a horizontal axis 14 located closely adjacent one wall of the flue so that when the damper hangs down (see Fig. 1) it will presen't no ob struction to the free passage of waste. If desired,-the wall of the flue may be recessed'adjanecessary. In the present instance the damper plate is mounted on a horizontal shaft which extends into and preferably across the flue to a bear-. ing in the, opposite wall, and has a projection l5 of non-circular section on the exterior of the flue. The damper is preferably wider than the flue in the dimensionperpendicular to its axis so that it closes the flue when in an inclined position as indicated at I 6 and bcforeit assumes a horizontal position. To allow aslight draft up the flue even when the damper is closed (so as to avoidthe issuance of smoke from the open incinerator door) the damper plate ispreferably slightly shorter than the dimension of the flue parallel to the-damper axis. In ordinary installations a sufficient draft is maintained for the aforesaid purpose if the damper plate be an inch shorter than the flue depth. The damper plate l3 and its shaft and supporting structure are made amply heavy and strong both to carry and resist damage from heavy waste which may be thrown down upon it during the short intervals when it may be closed.

The pivoting of the damper along one edge to avoid the presentation of any obstruction in the flue involves the exercise of a substantial force in closing the dampen-the damper plate being of substantialthickness and offering a very substantial resistance to movement out of its vertical position. To assist in closing the damper, a counterbalanceweight I1 is connected to the exterior portion l5 of the damper shaft by means of a counterbalance arm I8. The latter'is held against rotation relative to the shaft by reason of the non-circular cross section of the shaft. The counterbalance weight assumes substantiallythe position indicated at l9 (Fig. 1) when the damper is in closed position. The arm I8 is preferably mounted on the damper shaft relative to the damp er in such position that when the damper is open the center of gravity of the weight lies slightly beyond the upper dead center of the shaft and therefore tends to hold the'damper in open position against the wall of the flue (see Fig. l). This is particularly advantageous in constructions of this sort, for if the lower edge of the damper extended substantially out into the flue, themetal would be substantially burned in a short time by the hot flames from the incinerator.

The damper is of course sufiiciently underbalanced so that it will open readily by gravity; To protect the brick work or other lining of the flue against damage through blows struck it by the opening of the damper, a cushioning device in the form of a hydraulic check or dash-pot 20 is advantageously interposed. As here shown the piston of the check is pivotally connected by rod 2| to the damper operating arm 22 which is also connected with the non-circular extremity [5 of the damper shaft. The lower end of the dashpot is pivotally connected at 23 to some portion of the exterior frame work of the incinerator. The hydraulic check is of course adjusted to retard the movement of the damper sufliciently so that the latter does not strike forcibly against the wall of the flue.

The damper operating mechanism is advantageouslyv designed not only to provide for the" incinerator door. Thus the creation of a draft which would carry out solid particles from the incinerator is avoided and opening of the damper upon theclosing of the door is likewise assured.

The foregoing mechanism is typified by a damper operating rod '24 pivotally connected at 25 to the damper operating arm 22 and extending downwardly across the front of the door when the damper is open. As here shown, where double incinerator. doors are provided, the extremity 26 of the rod extends across the juncture of such doors to prevent opening of either of the doors until the rod has been moved to clear the doors and therefore close the damper. The closing of the damper is effected by moving the rod longitudinally upward until the damper assumes the closed position indicated at H5 at which point the rod is engaged by a latch which holds the damper closed. In this instance the latch comprises a plate 2'! having anelongated slot 28 through which the rod 24 passes, and a projection as on the bar (in the form of a notch) which engages the plate 21 at one end of the slot 26. Until the bar is moved longitudinally to engage the latch, the damper will not remain in position but will swing openby gravity. However. when so engaged, the bar has been elevated sufficiently to clear the incinerator door and permit it to be opened.

Thebar isautomatically released on the closing of the door by a tripping finger 35 carried by the door in a position to engage the bar and cam it laterally in slot 28 until it'is released from the latch plate. The cam face on the bar is in this instance provided by a cam member 3| hinged at 32 to the lower end of bar 2 and having a surfaceto be engaged by the tripping finger 39. Adjacent its hinge the cam member is provided with a stop face 33 which engages the rod and limits the hinging movement to one direction only. This permits the tripping finger 30 to move outwardly (on opening the door) without releasing the damper, since the cam member hinges outwardly; On the closing movement of the door, the tripping finger 36 engages the outer face of the cam member, and since the latter cannot I hingeinwardly, it is cammed laterally to release The lower extremity of the cam ing movement of the door (whether partial or full) occurs. Opening the door on only a partial closing of the damper, is not possible.

In Fig. 2 is illustrated a means for accommodating the aforesaid mechanism to buildings having a low ceiling height in the room where the incinerator is located. In this construction the lower end 35 of the flue is so closely adjacent the ceiling 36 that the damper shaft 31 and a portion of the damper itself lies above the ceiling. To connect the damper and its shaft to the operating mechanism (which is preferably located sufliciently below the ceiling to provide clearance for the counterweight IS), an arm 38 is connected to the damper shaft inside the flue (the shaft having a non-circular portion to prevent rotation of the arm relative to the damper). Ann 38 is connected-to operating arm 22 by means of a link 39 whose lower end is pivotally connected to an auxiliaryarm 4!] inside the flue. The latter arm is non-rotatably connected to the shaft 4| which passes through the incinerator wall and carries on its outer end the operating arm 22 to which the damper operating. mechanism is connected as illustrated in Fig. 1. By this means it is possible to locate the damper in its proper position inside the flue (independently of the ceiling height) and sufficiently far from the flue entrance so that there will be no burning ofthe metal of the damper or other associated parts.

Obviously the invention is not limited to the details of the illustrative construction since these may be variously modified. Moreover it is not indispensable that all features of the invention be used conjointly since various features may be used to advantage in diiferent combinations and subcombinations.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination with a flue fed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to .close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper when open will hangclosely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave thelatter unobstructed-for the passage of waste, said damper being located in the flue above the ceiling of. the room in which the incinerator is located, a shaft passing through the incinerator wall to the exterior at a point below the ceiling, a damper operating arm extending down inside the flue and operatively connected to said shaft, and damper actuating mechanism connected with said shaft and associated with the incinerator door to insure closing of. the damper on opening of the door.

2. The combination with a fluefed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper when open will hang closely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave the latterunobstructed for the passage of waste, damper actuating means associated with the incinerator door to insure substantially complete closure of said damper upon opening of the door thereby to prevent strong drafts through a partly opened door, and a counterweight associated with said damper to assist in'closing the damper, said counterweight being such as to permit the damper to swing by gravity to open position when released from closed'position.

3. The combination with a flue fed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper when open will hang closely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of waste, damper actuating means associated with the incinerator door to insure substantially complete closure of said damper upon opening of the door thereby to prevent strong drafts through a partly opened door, and a counterweight associated with the damper and movable about an axis on the opening and closing of the damper to counterbalance the weight of the latter, said counterweight being arranged to pass slightly beyond dead center on the opening of the damper to hold the latter in open position.

4. The combination with a flue fed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper when open will hang closely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of Waste, damper actuating means associated with the incinerator door to insure substantially complete closure of said damper upon opening of the door thereby to prevent strong drafts entering the door when partially opened, and means for releasing said damper on closing the door.

5. The combination with a flue fed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported on an axis at one side of said flue so that the damper when open will hang closely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of waste, a damper actuating bar adapted to project in front of the incinerator door when the damper is open to interfere with the opening of the door unless the damper be closed, means for holding the bar in damper closed position, said bar being movable to clear the door to close the damper and permit the opening of the door, and cam means engaged bythe closing of the door to release said bar from the holding means to permit the damper to open, said cam means being arranged to allow the door to open freely when the damper is in closed position.

6. The combination with a flue fed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supportedon an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper when open will hang closely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of waste, a damper actuating bar adapted to project in front of the incinerator door when the damper is open to interfere with the opening of the door unless the damper is first closed, said bar being movable to clear the door to close the damper and permit the opening of the door, and releasable means for holding said bar in damper closed position and adapted to be released automatically on the closing of the door to allow the'damper to open.

'7. The combination with a flue fed incinerator having a door and a charging flue, of a damper plate adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper when open will hang closely adjacent to one wall of the flue and leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of waste, a damper actuating bar adapted to project in front of the incinerator door when the damper is open to interfere with the opening of the door unless the damper is first closed, said bar being movable to clear the door to close the damper and permit the opening of the door, and means for holding said bar in damper closed position.

8. A flue fed incinerator of the character described comprising in combination a charging door, a flue serving both as a smoke flue and for feeding refuse to the incinerator, a damper plate in said flue adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported adjacent one edge on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper will swing open by gravity when released and when open will hang closely adjacent a wall of the flue to leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of refuse, said damper having substantial weight and being adapted to support a load of refuse thereon, damper actuating means for swinging and holding the damper across the flue so that the same may be closed when the door is opened to prevent strong drafts from entering through the door and carrying refuse up the flue, said means being releasable to allow the damper to swing open by gravity, and an automatic brake connected with the damper for retarding the opening motion of the damper and reventing the damper plate from striking the said wall of the flue with full force when released to swing open.

9. A flue fed incinerator of the character described comprising in combination a charging door, a flue serving both as a smoke flue and for feeding refuse to the incinerator, a damper plate in said flue adapted substantially to close the incinerator flue and pivotally supported adjacent one edge on an axis at one side of the flue so that the damper will swing open by gravity when released and when open will hang closely adjacent a wall of the flue to leave the latter unobstructed for the passage of refuse, said damper having refuse up' the flue, and means for holding said damper in closed position, said means being releasable to permit the damper to swing by gravity to open position from closed position after the closing of the door.

HUGH W. EWING. 

